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Special
Instructions
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| 1.
In the early morning, answer the calls of nature and sit for the practice.
Practise Pranayama, in a dry well-ventilated room. Pranayama requires deep
concentration and attention. It is always better to have the practice in a
steady sitting posture. Do not keep anyone by your side to avoid distraction of
your mind.
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| 2.
Before you sit for Pranayama practice, thoroughly clean the nostrils well. You
can take a small quantity of fruit-juice or a small cup of milk or coffee even
before the practice. When you finish the practice take a cup of milk or light
tiffin after 10 minutes.
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| 3.
Have one sitting only in the morning during summer. If there is heat in the
brain or head, apply Amla oil or butter on the head before you
take your bath. Take Misri Sherbat by dissolving sugar candy
in water. This will cool your whole system. Do Sitali Pranayama also. You will
not be affected by the heat.
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| 4.
Strictly avoid too much talking, eating, sleeping, mixing with friends and
exertion. Verily Yoga is not for him who eateth too much, nor who
abstaineth to excess, is addicted to too much sleep nor even to
wakefulness (Gita VI-16). Take a little ghee with rice when you take your
meals. This will lubricate the bowels and allow Vayu to move downwards freely.
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| 5.
Mitaharam vina yastu yogarambham tu karayet, Nanaroga bhavettasya kinchid
yogo na sidhyati Without observing moderation of diet, if one
takes to the Yoga practices, he cannot obtain any benefit but gets various
diseases (Ghe.S. Chap. V-16).
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| 6.
Perfect celibacy for six months or one year will doubtless enable you to
acquire rapid progress in the practice and in spiritual advancement. Do not
talk with ladies. Do not laugh and joke with them. Shun their company entirely.
Without Brahmacharya and dietetic regulations if you practise Yogic exercises,
you will not get maximum benefit in the spiritual practices. But, for ordinary
health you can practise mild exercises.
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| 7.
Be regular and systematic in your practice. Never miss a day. Stop the practice
when you are ailing seriously. Some people twist the muscles of the face when
they do Kumbhaka. It should be avoided. It is a symptom to indicate that they
are going beyond their capacity. This must be strictly avoided. Such people
cannot have a regulated Rechaka and Puraka.
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| 8.
Obstacles in Yoga: Sleeping in day time, late vigil over night, excess of urine
and faeces, evil of unwholesome food and laborious mental operation with
Prana. When one is attacked by any disease, he says that the disease is
due to the practice of Yoga. This is a serious mistake.
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| 9.
Get up at 4 a.m. Meditate or do Japa for half an hour. Then do Asanas and
Mudras. Take rest for 15 minutes. Then do Pranayama. Physical exercises can be
conveniently combined with Asanas. If you have sufficient time at your
disposal, you can have it after finishing all the Yogic exercises and
meditation. Pranayama can also be performed as soon as you get up from bed just
before Japa and meditation. It will make your body light and you will enjoy the
meditation. You must have a routine according to your convenience and time.
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| 10.
Maximum benefit can be derived if Japa also is done during the practice of
Asanas and Pranayama.
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| 11.
It is always better to start Japa and meditation in the early morning at 4
a.m., as soon as you get up from bed. At this time the mind is quite calm and
refreshed. You can have good concentration.
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| 12.
Vast majority of persons waste their precious time in the early morning in
answering the calls of nature for half an hour and washing their teeth for
another half an hour. This is bad. Aspirants should try to defecate within 5
minutes and cleanse their teeth within 5 minutes. If the bowels are
constipated, have vigorous practice of Salabha, Bhujanga and Dhanur Asanas for
5 minutes as soon as you get up from bed. If you are habituated to answer the
call of nature, late, you can do so after finishing the Yogic exercises.
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Top
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| 13.
First do Japa and meditation. Then you can take to Asana and Pranayama
exercises. Then finish the course of practice by another short sitting in
meditation.
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| 14.
AS there is always some drowsiness when you get up from bed, it is desirable to
do some Asanas and a little Pranayama for five minutes just to drive off this
drowsiness and to make you fit for meditation. The mind gets one-pointed after
the practice of Pranayama. Pranayama, though it concerns with the breath, gives
good exercise for various internal organs and the whole body.
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| 15.
The general order of doing Kriyas is: First do all Asanas, then Mudras, then
Pranayama and then Dhyana. Since the early morning time is suitable for
meditation, you can follow this order: Japa, Meditation, Asanas, Mudras and
Pranayama. This is a better way. You can follow the order which is suitable to
you. After doing Asanas, take rest for five minutes and then begin Pranayama.
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| 16.
Some Hatha Yogic books interdict cold bath in the early morning. Probably the
reason may be that one may catch cold or develop any complaint of the lungs, if
he takes cold bath at 4 a.m. particularly in cold places like Kashmir,
Mussoorie, Darjeeling, etc. There is no restriction in hot places. I am always
in favour of cold baths before one starts the Yogic practices as it is
refreshing and stimulating. It drives off drowsiness. It brings in equilibrium
of circulation of blood. There is a healthy flow of blood towards the brain.
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| 17.
Asanas and Pranayama remove all sorts of diseases, improve health, energise
digestion, invigorate the nerves, straighten the Sushumna Nadi, remove Rajas
and awaken Kundalini. Practice of Asanas and Pranayama bestows good health and
steady mind. As no Sadhana is possible without good health and as no meditation
is possible without a steady mind, Hatha Yoga is of immense use for Dhyana
Yogins, Karma Yogins, Bhaktas and Vedantins as well.
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| 18.
The maintenance of the body is impossible without Asanas or any kind of
physical exercises or activities. Even an orthodox Vedantin is an unconscious
Hatha Yogi. He practices some kind of Asana daily. He practices Pranayama also
unconsciously because during meditation, Pranayama comes by itself.
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| 19.
Whenever you feel uneasy, depressed or dejected, practise Pranayama. You will
be at once filled with new vigour, energy and strength. You will be elevated,
renovated and filled with joy. Do this and try. Before you begin to write
something, an essay, an article or a thesis, do Pranayama first. You will bring
out beautiful ideas and it will be an inspiring, powerful and original
production.
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| 20.
Be regular in the practice. Regularity in the practice is very necessary if one
wants to realise the maximum benefits of Asanas and Pranayama. Those who
practise by fits and starts will not derive much benefit. Generally people
practise for two months in the beginning with great enthusiasm and leave off
the practice. This is a sad mistake. They always want a Yogic teacher by their
side. They have got the effeminate leaning mentality. They are lazy, torpid and
slothful.
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| 21.
People do not want to remove Mala (impurity) by selfless service and Vikshepa
by Yogic practices. They at once jump to awaken the Kundalini and raise
Brahmakara Vritti. They will only break their legs. Those who attempt to awaken
the Kundalini by Asanas and Pranayama, should have purity in thought, word and
deed. They should have mental and physical Brahmacharya. Then only they can
enjoy the benefits of awakening the Kundalini.
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| 22.
Sow the seed of spirituality in your young age. Do not waste Virya. Discipline
the Indriyas and mind. Do Sadhana. When you become old, it will be difficult
for you to do any rigid Sadhana. Therefore be on the alert during your teens;
you will see for yourself in a short time the particular benefits you derive
from particular kinds of Sadhana.
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| 23.
When you advance in spiritual practices, you must observe strict Mouna (vow of
silence) for 24 hours continuously. This must be continued for some months
also. Everyone should select a course of few exercises in Asana, Pranayama and
meditation according to one’s temperament, capacity, convenience and
requirement.
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| 24.
It is quite possible for a man to practise celibacy, albeit there are various
sorts of temptations and distractions. A well-disciplined life, study of
scriptures, Satsanga, Japa, Dhyana, Pranayama, Sattvic and moderate diet, daily
introspection, and enquiry, self-analysis and self-correction, Sadachara,
practice of Yama, Niyama, physical and verbal Tapas, all will pave a long way
in the attainment of this end. People have irregular, unrighteous, immoderate,
irreligious, undisciplined life. Hence they suffer and fail in the attainment
of the goal of life. Just as the elephant throws sand on its own head, so also
they themselves bring difficulties and troubles on their own heads on account
of their foolishness.
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| 25.
Do not shake the body unnecessarily. By shaking the body often the mind also is
disturbed. Do not stretch the body every now and then. The Asana should be
steady and firm as a rock when you do Pranayama, Japa and meditation.
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